Library Updates

Traveling Exhibit on George Washington Coming in May

Washington in his last illness. Courtesy Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.

The Briscoe Library will host a traveling exhibit from the National Library of Medicine entitled Every Necessary Care and Attention: George Washington and Medicine during May and June. This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens.

On display from May 11 – June 20, the exhibit explores the story of George Washington’s own health and examines the ways in which he sought to safeguard the health and wellness of those under his care. Washington’s story illuminates the broader context of the experience of illness and the practice of medicine, which during his time, was transitioning from a traditional healer craft to a profession.

A companion exhibit by Special Collections staff on Colonial Medicine will also examine the diseases and culture of medicine during the colonial period of American history. It will be exhibited in the glass cases of the library foyer during the same period.